PHIL311-14S1 (C) Semester One 2014

Recent and Contemporary Philosophy

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 24 February 2014
End Date: Sunday, 29 June 2014
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 9 March 2014
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 25 May 2014

Description

Do we think in words? If I say 'I'm in pain', do you really know what I mean? You can't kick what doesn't exist, so how can you talk about what doesn't exist - tomorrow, Harry Potter, or the possible world where you win $1 million on Lotto? Is empathy a form of mind-reading? Can machines have concepts? Could you have been born in a different hemisphere, with different parents and the opposite sex? Why does every attempt to solve a philosophical problem simply raise more problems, sometimes even worse ones? We look at central philosophical problems through the eyes of some of the greatest and most challenging philosophers of the 20th century.

About Philosophy. Not only is philosophy one of the most interesting and challenging subjects, it teaches skills that employers want: thinking outside the box, logic, ethics, and excellent writing and communication skills. At UC you can do either a BA or a BSc in Philosophy, or combine a Philosophy major with the LLB, BCom, or another degree.

Learning Outcomes

  • The aim of this course is that you will learn to:

  • Understand and analyse central problems in recent and contemporary philosophy

  • Defend a position rigorously by means of logical argument, and anticipate and rebut objections

  • Think independently, question assumptions, and search for different approaches

  • Communicate effectively and unambiguously, both orally and in written reports

Prerequisites

45 points in PHIL, at least 30 at 200 level.

Restrictions

PHIL464 (from 2006)

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Diane Proudfoot

Assessment

There is no final examination in this course

Textbooks / Resources

Anthony Kenny (ed.), The Wittgenstein Reader, 2nd edition (Blackwell, 2006). Copies are available in UBS and on 3-hour loan in the High Demand Collection in the Library.

Additional readings, video files, and podcasts are available in the PHIL311 course site on Learn.

Course links

Library portal

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,340.00

International fee $5,700.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Humanities .

All PHIL311 Occurrences

  • PHIL311-14S1 (C) Semester One 2014
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